Coalición de Derechos Humanos

Cristen Vernon, Coordinator of the Missing Migrant Project at Coalición de Derechos Humanos

At Paulo Freire Freedom School – Downtown and University we work really hard to place the right adult staff in the learning community to work with our young people. Cristen Vernon began the 2014-2015 school year as the Spanish 1 instructor at PFFS-U. She was working about 30-hours per week for Coalición de Derechos Humanos at the time, but we all thought that the very, part-time nature of our Spanish teaching positions at PFFS (5 hours per week over three days) could be balanced with her work there. However, as the situation at the border intensified this Fall, Cristen found herself working well over 40 hours per week coordinating the Missing Migrant Project , as well as, counseling and representing migrants at deportation hearings and she realized she could not do both and gave us her notice effective at the end of the 1st Quarter.

We wish Cristen the very best as she pursues this important work with migrant families full time and we are also very excited to announce that we have found a wonderful replacement, Amilcar Velásquez, in the Spanish 1 classroom. Welcome Amilcar!

El Pueblo Integral, the 501 (c)3 that holds the charter for the two schools, supports the work of Coalición de Derechos Humanos and we would like to take a moment to promote two of their events coming up in November: the 14th Annual Día de los Muertos Pilgrimage on Saturday (11/1) and the 10th Corazón de Justicia Dinner in two weeks on Saturday (11/15). And here is one more connection: Miguel Reyes, our Spanish 3/Spanish Literacy instructor, and his band Santa Pachita are providing the musical entertainment for the 11/15 dinner/fundraiser. We encourage our PFFS community to find a way to support Derechos Humanos.